


Is Family Friend Or Foe?

by bubbles2676



Category: Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Child Abuse, Fluff, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, Love, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:22:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22430074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubbles2676/pseuds/bubbles2676
Summary: Happiness, then pain. Kindness, then audaciousness. Family is supposed to be the people you turn to when you're in need, but what if they're the ones that caused your suffering? What if their existence hurts your soul every waking moment? Who do you turn to? Who do you look to in your time of need? Who will be there to cradle your soul after it's been broken down time and time again? Who's there to love you when no one else will?
Relationships: Jack Merridew/Ralph, Roger/Simon (Lord of the Flies)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [freckledflowers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/freckledflowers/gifts).



** Ralph (age 6) **

The time was ticking as the little boy sat in front of the door. Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. Seconds, minutes, then hours passed. The shining light of the sun soon disappeared and was no longer casting its glow on the boy's face. The sky was dark and full of stars, but not even their light could reach the boy's face. Foot shaking. Heart pounding. Fumbling fingers. No matter what though, the smile was never washed off his face. 

The clock struck midnight and the boy was still waiting there. Patiently, with the smile lighting up the dark doorway. All of the voices of others had faded and the silence was all that remained. After another hour, the door began to creak as keys were beginning to jingle. The doorknob turned and the boy's face lit up with immense joy. He jumped up and ran closer to the door. His mom finally arrived after an excruciatingly long day at work. She gave a quick smile at the boy, sat her purse on the counter, then went to her room to sleep. The boy's smile began to fade into the darkness along with all the other glimmers of light. With a slump, he walked to his room and fell asleep. 

** Jack (age 8) **

"But mom!" The young boy pleaded at his mother to let him stay up for a bit longer, just to finish some homework. The mother laughed and took his books. "You sleep when I say so. You eat when I say so. You will listen to me as long as you live. Understand?" The boy nodded solemnly and began to cry as the door closed. The tears were absorbed into the mattress and then at one point, left the mattress soaking. Here he was, a boy with no choices crying his heart out at long last. An escape was necessary, but it wasn't given. The boy dried his tears and pulled up the covers. He stared up into the blank ceiling and dreamed of a better life.

"When can I tell someone what to do?" The question was booming inside his head, pushing out all reason and logic. A better life was waiting for him, he just had to find it. Satisfied with his answer, he turned to his side and looked at his bland wall. No posters, no games, no books, nothing. It was as empty as the dead's eyes. His sheets were white and his bed was brown. His room was very generic, and if he had to move, he could pack in no more than 30 minutes. His parents never let him have a toy, or candy, or anything he could've possibly wanted. He was just stuck with what he needed and that was that. His grades were poor, his athletic skill was mediocre, and his looks didn't help either. Bullied constantly, but no one to turn to. He was helpless in every way possible. What could he do? "Nothing." His parents' voice boomed in his head. He was powerless, no one listened nor cared for him. His existence was like that of a pencil. You use it when you need it, but throw it away whenever. It's not special in any way.

** Roger (age 5) **

"Anything else, sweetie?" The patronizing voice was so irritating that the child couldn't handle it. He ran away from the kitchen table and slammed his room shut. He turned to his beautiful room and anger enraged his soul. The floor was new, his bed was personalized, posters filled his walls, toys and games filled his shelves, and his clothes filled his closet. Whenever he asked for something, he received it instantly. There was no wait or reasoning required. The perfect family had been gifted to the boy who was anything but perfect. Violence was on his mind 24/7 and no amount of toys could remove it. He wore only black clothes and grew his hair long. Hoodies were his preferred clothing and he loved his black joggers. He had no friends at all and wanted to keep it that way. No one could possibly fill the void in his life. No one could possibly the missing piece to his puzzle. 

The next day, he awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs, his favorite breakfast. His eyes laid their fuzzy gaze on his mother, who held his tray with a smile that could fill any room. All that was visible on the boy's face was complete and utter disgust. He threw the tray on the floor and stomped to the bathroom. His mother only smiled at her little boy and let out a giggle. He stared at his perfect complexation, beautiful eyes, and luscious hair. "Disgusting." He ran out of the bathroom and went straight for the door. "Where are you going today, kiddo?" His father smiled and gave the boy a hug. The boy felt goosebumps over his body and gagged. He shook loose from his father's comforting arms and ran to the park. 

It was a hot day, so many boys were present. Most of them were older than the boy, but the boy didn't care. Anyone he saw, he would pick a fight with. No matter the height, size, or gender, everyone he saw had fought with him at least once. Some new boys popped out of the corner of his eye, and the boy grabbed a rock and threw it at them. The boys were much older, seniors at most. They all laughed at the minuscule kid that stood before them. The boy didn't quit. He threw a larger rock at the group and stood impatiently. The boys finally took the boy seriously and cracked their knuckles. "A little one like you shouldn't be messing with big kids." They all gathered in a circle around the boy. The boy didn't even blink.

One of the teenagers came from the right, sprinting to get a surprise attack on the boy. The boy slipped out of the way and punched the teen. Blood splattered everywhere and a puddle began to form at his feet. Teeth were shattered into pieces. Each individual bone of his jaw cracked and the teenager's face looked disfigured. The boys stood in shock at the little boy that stood in front of them. They grabbed their friend and tried to run, but the little boy didn't let them. He sharpened a rock and threw it at one of the boys, cracking their head to the point where their skull was visible. Then, he grabbed another teens' arm and twisted it completely to the other side. Then, he twisted the neck of the last teen, killing him on the spot. The police were called and the boy walked casually out of the park. No one dared to face the boy and those who did never survived.

** Simon (age 4) **

"Mom! Mom!" The little boy eagerly jumped up and down as his family was sitting down at the table. His smile spread from ear to ear and his eyes grew with joy. His mother smiled at the boy. "Yes, my dear?" The boy sat down and took a deep breath. "So, there's this boy at the park. He's really cute! He has black eyes, long black hair, and always wears black clothes. I think I like him. No, scratch that. I know I do!" His mother's eyes were wide and her mouth hung open. His father slammed his hands on the table. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!?!" The boy was in shock at this reaction. "Mom, dad?" "Shut up you insignificant brat! Go to your room!" The boy at first sat still, looking at his parents. Realizing that the reaction was true, he slowly got out of his chair and headed to his room. 

"I don't understand. What's wrong with liking a boy?" The boy went to his aquarium and stared at his fishes. "Do you guys like each other?" His eyes were enthralled in his little fish. Animals were his passion, something he couldn't live without. He stared at the deep blue water and noticed every time the water moved, even a millimeter. After a while, he grabbed the fish food and pinched a little into the fish tank. He made sure that all of his fish had eaten before leaving. Once his fish had eaten, he went over to his lizard's tank. He opened the tank and took his little lizard out. "Hi, Roger! How was your day today?" The boy had named each of his pets like a parent would name their child. All of their names were different and had a significant meaning to him. He danced around with Roger and sang a little tune. He was filled with so much joy and happiness, more than any boy alive.

His mother quietly opened his door. Once she came in, she closed it right behind her. She turned to the boy as she was putting on gloves. She took out a small knife from her pocket and gave a death stare to her child. "Boys who like boys are bad. They don't deserve happiness." She crept slowly to the boy, who began to hide Roger. "Boys must like girls. Not boys." She knelt down to the boy, who was beginning to shake. "Don't worry. I'll fix you up. I'll fix you up just right." She slashed her child on the cheek and blood flowed like a river. The boy began to weep, but his mother wasn't fazed. "Still like boys? Tsk. Should've known. You needed discipline, not leisure. We let you off too easy my child. But don't worry. You'll learn." She slashed her boy again, this time on the knee. The blood kept on flowing interminably, its dark red color creating a circle around the boy.

"Poor child. You must learn someway. And yet, this is the way you must learn." She threw the knife down and it sliced a part of the boy's toe. Blood gushed out and part of his bone was visible. Tears filled his eyes and mixed with the blood on his cheek. "Mom, please stop." His body was trembling and blood was flowing off of his face and knee. She slowly came up to him and laid her hand on his neck. She then squeezed his neck with all her might, preventing all air from going into the boy's body. "M-mom. P-p-please!" He begged with the little breath that he had. She still didn't quit. "Child, you must learn someway. And this way is the best." His body was beginning to turn lifeless, but then she let go. The boy gasped for air and was traumatized by what happened. "Some boys would've learned by now. But this way is more than fine too." His mom turned to his lizard and smiled. "A boy like you mustn't have great things." As she stepped on the lizard, its blood splattered and its bones scattered across the floor. "You must learn with pain. And that's fine too."

She grabbed the knife and walked casually out of the room, leaving a panicking boy behind. The boy crawled to the remains of Roger and bawled with all his might. "Roger! Roger!" His blood created a line from where he laid and gathered near his lizard. "Why you? Why must you suffer?" The boy's vision began to blur from the blood loss, but he still persisted. "Why must the good ones be murdered?" He gathered the skeleton of his lizard and felt each crack in the bones. "Why did you have to die?" He cried and held the bones near his chest, not paying attention to the blood on the floor. After a while, the boy lost his consciousness and fell on the ground. His fishes didn't seem to notice and just kept on swimming. The boy seemed as lifeless as his lizard, but he was still breathing. As he slept on the floor, blood circled around him and filled the ground even more.


	2. Chapter 2

**On the Island, Several Years Later:**  
  
"Come on, Piggy!" Ralph shouted at Piggy, who was drenched in sweat. They had been running from the hunters ever since Roger missed Piggy with the rock. "My asthma, Ralph!" "Sucks to your ass-mar!" The response had now become robotic, occurring every time it was mentioned. At this point, it wasn't looked at as a condition, more as an excuse or a whine. As the boys were running with all their might, the yell of the hunters was nearing. They dodged all the creepers and pushed leaves out of their sight. "Ralph! We're getting close to the beach!" Ralph ignored Piggy's cries and pushed on. Piggy was shocked but persisted. "Ralph! We gotta do something! If we don't, we're as-" Piggy stopped and tried to look for the right words in the situation. "We're as good as dead!" All that came was silence. This time, Piggy answered with exasperation. "Ralph! Please!" Ralph answered with a great deal of anger, yet sadness. "I know, Piggy, I know!" They both stopped in their tracks. "Then do something!" Ralph sighed. "What can I do?" Piggy had another remark but held it in. They began to run, but they noticed that it was too late. They were on the shore and a figure was coming out of the forest.   
  
"No! No!" Piggy fell on his back as an asthma attack was coming. Ralph was paralyzed and barely kept his balance. He muttered something under his breath as horror filled his eyes. The figure was nearing them. Piggy pleaded with the little breath he had left. "Please! Have mercy!" "Mercy?" The figure came out of the forest and was finally identifiable. "S-Simon!" Ralph fell on the floor with tears of joy as Piggy was beginning to get control of his breathing. Simon came up towards them, utterly confused. "I thought you-" Ralph's voice trailed off as he remembered that night. Simon was going to give them a hug but decided not to. "I-I'm glad you're all right!" Ralph shook out of the memory and stared at Simon, who was still genuinely confused. "What's going on, Ralph?" Piggy stood up and brushed the sand off his pants. "The situation is terrible. We're gonna die here. No, I'm not joking." Piggy turned to Ralph, who was recovering from the traumatic memory. "We will die here!" Ralph had it with Piggy. He stood up and took a step towards Piggy. "Then do something." Piggy's mouth hung open at Ralph's sarcasm in the desperate time. Simon turned and saw the smoke of the trees flying up into the air. "Did the fire get out of hand?" Before they could answer his question, the hunters were approaching at full speed.  
  
Simon cautiously took a step back. "Ralph, why are they running towards us?" Ralph and Piggy fell silent as their minds couldn't accept the idea of their fate. Jack and the other hunters' cries were now understandable. "Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!" Simon took another step back. "Ralph, why are they chanting?" Simon's eyes were filling with tears as he saw the spears and imagined the endless possibilities. Then, he began to cry heavily as the memories were flooding back to him. Once Jack and the others came closer, they noticed Simon. "Simon?" Jack fell back as he stared at the boy in front of him. "Didn't you-" His eyes turned to Ralph and his anger flared. He got up and played it cool. "Either way, we must do what we came here for. Now, kill the beast! Cut his throat!" Everyone joined in as they pointed their spears at the boys. "Spill his blood!"   
  
The hunters rushed to the boys in the center, thrusting their spears. "Please! Don't do this!" Piggy was yelling at the top of his lungs while Ralph was muttering prayers. Simon, on the other hand, was dead silent. He stopped crying and faced the hunters. "What's going on?" Maurice, who was in front of Simon, stopped running and let his spear down. "Didn't you guys hear? The beast isn't real!" Everyone at that point turned towards Simon. "But we saw-" "-it with our-" "-own eyes!" Samneric yelled at Simon. "It was just a pilot. The corpse of one. I would show you, but it's near the fire." Everyone was shaking their head in disbelief. A littlun came toward Jack. "Didn't you say that it was going to kill us?" Jack didn't answer this time. He dropped his spear and stared at the scrawny boy who pleaded his case. Maurice started to laugh. "Oh my!" Jack gave him a sharp glance, but the rest of the hunters joined in the laughter, except Roger. Roger let out a sigh and sat down on the sand. Ralph and Piggy were still stunned that they were still alive.   
  
"I could've sworn that we would've-" Piggy hushed himself this time as everyone needed to process what just happened. A littlun came up to Simon and tugged on his shorts. "Does that mean that we're safe?" Simon smiled and knelt to be on the same level as the boy. "Of course. Either way, I wouldn't let anything happen to you or anyone here." The littlun hugged Simon and went towards his friends. Simon looked around at all of the boys, finally relaxing after knowing their largest threat wasn't real. They seemed to rejoice, even with Ralph and Piggy. Simon was happy but still wanted to know what happened. He went to look for Jack or Ralph, but they were both busy. Then, he found Roger sitting all alone.   
  
"Hullo, Roger!" Simon sat down next to him. Roger didn't respond. Simon was fumbling with his fingers. They stayed quiet for a while, gazing into the sunset. "You know, if we were back there, we'd be finishing choir practice right now." Simon's face was beginning to glow from the sun's light. Roger remained silent. "Imagine the songs we would be singing now. You were a tenor, right?" Roger nodded, but remained looking at the sun. "I've always been a soprano. But now I think I'm becoming a treble. It's not that bad, but now Jack's the only soprano. Or he would've been." Simon gave a glance at Roger, then looked down at the sand. "I like it here. Or well, I used to. All of nature surrounding me as I would wake up with the sun. It was the best life. But I guess that's gone." Simon shuffled around in the sand. "Anyways, it was nice catching up with you." As Simon turned to leave, Roger finally spoke. "Where were you?" Simon jumped up and fell on his back. He immediately got back up. Roger still didn't look at Simon, but Simon could tell that he was listening. Simon settled in the sand and began to tell his story.   
  
**Last Night On The Island:**  
  
It was a cold night as Simon was crawling through the creepers, desperately trying to reach the others. He had found out the truth about the beast, and sure enough, there was none. It was just a corpse of a pilot. That's what scared them so. Or was it themselves? Either way, Simon knew that he had to share this with the others. It took a while, especially since he was crawling, but he finally reached the beach and saw the others. Simon's face lit up with joy and determination as he felt like it was his responsibility to tell them the truth. He knew that he could've waited until daylight, but he just couldn't. This was too important to pass over. As he was reaching them, they came running toward him. At first, he was confused. "What's going on?" Then, he heard the chant, saw the spears, and froze in place. His life flashed before his eyes.  
  
As the spears were impaling him, he was brought back to the times when his mother would do the same. He could feel his blood gushing out of the small cuts and the blood settling on the sand. The sand was now stained a dark red color. They continued. As they were doing this, all Simon could think of was his mother. What his mother did, specifically. He closed his eyes and remembered the anguish of seeing Roger's life disappear before his eyes. All of the insults he's heard over the years were hurled at him with each strike. "You're a disgrace!" "You don't deserve us!" "I wish you were never born!" The blood was flowing like a river, mixing with the ocean's water. After a while, the pain stopped. Simon could feel his body carried off into the water. It felt so relaxing. So calm. All of the pain and sorrow that he had experienced was finally being freed, but Simon couldn't let go. He tried with all his might to keep those memories and to stay alive. He refused to die. He refused to die without any purpose.  
  
The next day, he washed up on another part of the island, one where there were no boys. Simon could feel the pain again and felt relieved. He was still alive. He tried getting up, but he was too weak. Then, he decided to crawl to the others. He entered the forest and revisited the pig's head. He waved it goodbye for now and continued on his journey. Simon then proceeded to head toward the shore, where everyone else should've been. At one point, he could smell smoke and heard yells and chants from all sides. He was terrified, but he didn't let that stop him. "I have to tell them. I have to!" He regained some of his strength and then stood up. He couldn't run, but it was at least better than crawling. "Whatever it takes, I'll tell them." Simon kept on repeating this to himself to cope with the pain. However, he also did it to forget what happened the night before. To forget what happened as a child. To remember all the good times. All of the family dinners. All of the movies. All of the love, the love that was gone. All Simon had left was the suffering. Although he had some good memories, they were drenched with the bad ones. He couldn't take it. He almost collapsed but pursued. "I'll tell them. Even if it's the last thing I do."

**After The Story:**

Simon shuffled around in the damp sand. "And that's it." He paused for a moment as he stared at Roger who still refused to face him. "I should go." Simon stood up and took one last glance at Roger, then finally walked away. He was slumping, but as soon as someone spotted him, he straightened up. "Hullo Simon." They merely passed a glance at him before continuing their celebration. Simon sighed as he stared at the bright blue sky. "Could someone ever-" He stopped himself before he couldn't and went to the ruin of a shelter. He started to rebuild it, although he failed. He was alone doing this because everyone else thought it was pointless. Simon still didn't stop. He continued to try to rebuild them. After a while, he finally did one shelter, but it was extremely wobbly. It was on the brink of destruction, but it was still impressive for being built alone, especially considering Simon. He crawled inside of the hut and rested his head on the sand. The pain was starting to become unbearable as he clutched his stomach. He started to sweat and his miniscule body was shaking. He tried to relax to soothe his pain for a while, before having to endure it again. It was already a hassle last time, so the next time would be worse.

Roger kept on looking at the sun after Simon left. He couldn't believe what he just heard. No one should've gone through that. No one. "What am I saying?" He mumbled to himself and stood up. He walked along the shore as he tried to recollect his thoughts. His past began to flood his memories as he tried so hard to push them back out. However, those efforts were hopeless among the multitudinous memories that he had. Going to the park every day just to beat up some kids that were just minding their business. Ignoring his family at reunions and pushing them away. It was all he had done. It was all that he knew. But Simon, he held on to those memories. In fact, his story showed that they were essential to him. "Must've had a pretty good family." Roger concluded his thoughts and began to turn back. However, he just couldn't get Simon out of his head. He was stuck there. His smile, his nervous laugh, Roger could remember it all clearly. Roger kicked the sand at this realization. "Why can't I get him out of my head?"


	3. Chapter 3

**7 Years Later**  
"Here sweetie!"

Simon handed Tony a glass of water. 

  
"Took you long enough."

  
They had been together for 3 years. At first, it was full of love. But now the love was more one-sided. There was more pain involved. But Simon could never bring himself to break up with him. He didn't want to break Tony's heart. He thought that there was still something there. That he had been doing something wrong and it was his fault the relationship got to this point. That he did something terrible. If only he knew what.

  
"You gonna stare at space forever or are you gonna take my glass?" 

  
Simon rushed to take Tony's glass and washed it immediately. Simon would stay in Tony's dorm to spend time with him, but he ended up being just a butler, doing whatever Tony says. He checked his phone and realized it was time for class. He went to go leave, but Tony grabbed his arm.

  
"Where do you think you're going?"

  
"To class?"

  
Simon tried to shake his arm loose, but Tony's grip only got stronger.

  
"You'll leave. When. I. Tell. You. To."

  
He started to dig his nails into his skin.

  
"Got. It?"

  
Simon could only nod.

  
"Go now. I'll see you later."

  
Tony shoved Simon out of his dorm and slammed the door behind him. Simon winced from the pain. It happened quite often, but it was still agonizing. He always did it in the same place, reopening the wounds that were just starting to heal. He pulled down his sleeve and headed to class.

  
"But Ralph!"

  
Jack was pulling on Ralph's sleeve. It was a common routine that happened every day. Jack would do something stupid. Ralph would tell him to stop. Jack wouldn't. Ralph walks away. Jack throws a tantrum. Every day. The same thing. It seemed like a comedy of sorts. Like it was rehearsed. And every day, as if there was a timer, Ralph would head to Simon. 

  
"Hey Simon!"

  
He managed a smile as he tried to ignore Jack's cries. They had been together for a while now. Almost 2 years. Yet, they fought. Every. Single. Day. The rest of the class laughed at this, while Simon was the only one that was willing to save Ralph from his predicament. 

  
"Hey Ralph. How's it going?"

  
Ralph laughed.

  
"Great. Just great."

  
Jack was still tugging on Ralph's shirt.

  
"Please! I'm sorry!"

  
It was hilarious to see them do this every day. If they ever got married, that would be a disaster. Every day Ralph would threaten to divorce Jack. And every day they would recite their vows. It would be torture for anyone that was still around. Simon kept his kind smile on. It was always a mystery as to how Jack would make it up to Ralph. Somedays he would give him flowers. Others he would whine and whine and whine until Ralph got annoyed and gave up. They were like the old married couple that can't agree on anything.

  
"Shit. Class is starting. Oh fuck. Anyways bye Simon!"

  
Ralph and Jack headed to their seats that were separate from each other. Opposite ends of the room. Every teacher did this. They all had the same seating chart. They were seated like this so they would behave a little. Or else, well. That would be a disaster. Simon took his seat and faced Roger. After the island they never really spoke. Roger usually kept to himself and talked to Maurice or Jack if anyone. Simon sighed. He stared into Roger's dark eyes and got lost into them. _Roger's so beautiful._ He was so dreamy. _Snap out of it!_ Simon jumped up. He had a boyfriend. Sure, their relationship wasn't the best, but he couldn't cheat on Tony. Tony meant the world to him, threats and all. 

  
**During Class**

  
Now, the true spectacle was their class time. Their first period was math. It was always hilarious. The teacher always gave up after a while.

"All right. Let's just do some multiplication. Simple stuff, right?"

  
Everyone nodded. Maurice was still in his own world, but he's Maurice. He never pays attention.

  
"All right. What's 12 times 4?"

  
Everyone raised their hand. Even Maurice. The teacher was shocked by this.

  
"Maurice? Would you like to give it a go?"

  
"Yeah! The answer is purple!"

  
The class was dead silent. Piggy's face was turning red.

  
"Maurice. Really? How the fuck do you get purple?"

  
"Language Piggy!"

  
"He doesn't even know what subject this is!"

  
The teacher sighed and erased the problem from the board. He took out some worksheets and gave it to everyone.

  
"Finish it by the end of class."

  
Same routine as always. It was always by themselves. They didn't get to work with a partner. Simon was fine with that. He could work with anyone honestly. But he didn't know if everyone could work with him. However, today went differently.

  
"Complete it with the person sitting across from you."

  
Oh no. Roger was sitting across from Simon. Roger. Of all people. Piggy wasn't in a better place. He got Maurice. After begging to switch partners for 15 minutes, he finally gave up and they started to work on it. Roger came to Simon and sat next to him. Roger was tall. 6 feet and 4 inches. Much taller than Simon who was just 5 feet and 3 inches. Simon felt nervous. He never actually interacted with Roger other than that one time at the island. But that was a long time ago and Roger probably forgot about it.

  
"Let's get started. Shall we?" 

  
Simon gave Roger a smile. The corners of Roger's mouth were turning into a smile, but he was able to hold it back. _Is he making fun of me? This is going worse than I thought._ They worked on the first problem in no time. Soon, they finished the work sheet but still had 30 minutes left of class. This is when Simon would usually check his work. 50 times. Every assignment he did the same thing. It didn't matter because he always had the right answers, but he had to make sure. 

  
"You like to check your work?"

  
"Yeah! It's something I always do!"

  
Roger gave off a short laugh. It was almost nonexistent, but Simon caught it. Roger looked at Simon's shirt. At their school, they could wear whatever they wanted. Simon had on a yellow shirt with a bright green lizard plastered onto it. He wore some jeans and had a little flower in his hair.

  
"That's an Angelonia. It's blooms in the summertime. It needs damp soil. It can usually tolerate heat. It has 30 species."

Simon looked up at Roger who turned the other way. 

"Wow, you sure know a lot about flowers."

"Yeah. It's one of my favorite things. Each of them have a specific meaning. The protea represents transformation. While red chrysanthemums represent love in the United States, but in Italy they symbolize death. Not to mention that orch-"

Roger turned back around and stared at Simon, who was listening intently. His cheeks were turning pink. It was kind of obvious since he was so pale. Simon still stared at Roger. Roger stared back. This staring went on for a while. Simon felt something. Something he hadn't felt in a while. What was it? Was is love? _Stop it right now! I'm in love with Tony!_ Speaking of Tony, he caught Simon's gaze as he broke a pencil in half. Then again. Then again. Simon got the hint. He turned back to his paper. 

"Sorry. I still gotta check my work."

"Knock yourself out."

That was the end of their encounter. They didn't speak after that. At all. Simon saw Roger glance at him from time to time, but Simon didn't glance back. He knew Tony was watching. He knew he couldn't mess up. If he did... If he did... Well, let's just say he wouldn't even have the ability to look at anyone again. Class was over and Simon and Roger aced their assignment. The rest of the day, Simon kept to himself. He knew he messed up. He could feel Tony's stare. It was burning into his skull. _Dear god let it stop. Please let it stop._ Simon was begging himself to stop. He just had to focus on his assignments for now. He had to. Or else...

**After School**

Simon said a quick goodbye to Ralph and rushed to his dorm. He always had 5 minutes before Tony barged in and demanded things again. Today, there was no 5 minutes. Before he could even make it to his dorm, Tony grabbed his arm and pulled him inside of Simon's dorm. He locked the door behind him. Simon didn't try to break free this time. He kept still. Tony pulled him to a corner. Then, he let go of Simon. Simon waited for a bit. 5 seconds. 10 seconds. 30 seconds. _Okay. I think I can leave now._ But Tony wasn't ready. He put his hands on Simon's throat and began to choke him. The memories were flooding back. 

"You poor boy."

_Enough._

"You insignificant boy."

_Enough._

"You're worthless!"

"PLEASE! STOP!"

Simon was now crying. He was almost out of air. Tony let go. He let out a laugh. He pulled out a knife. _No. Not again._ Tony pulled Simon's sleeve up. He slashed it. Blood was gushing out. Then, he put the knife back in his pocket and left. Without a word. Simon ran to his hidden drawer and put a bandage on. The cut hurt so much. So much. _But I deserve it._ He went inside his drawer and saw a knife. _It's what I deserve._ He grabbed the knife. _It's what I deserve._ The took of the bandage. _It's what I deserve._ He slashed himself. At first, it was just a nick. But then he did it again. And again. And again. He did it so much that his vision was turning blurry. _It's what I deserve._ Memories of his mother came back. All that pain came back. _It's what I deserve._ Memories of Tony came back. All of the times he cut him or dug his nails into his skin. _IT'S WHAT I DESERVE!_ The cut he gave himself was so large that blood was pouring out. Much more than before. Simon was about to faint. He put the bandage back on and cleaned the knife and any evidence of what just happened. He hid everything again and took out his books to start to work on his homework. _It's what I deserve._


	4. Chapter 4

**Later That Day**

It was time. Simon's free time. Everyday at 8 p.m., he would head into the forest. He loved it there. He loved the animals and the plants. It was his safe space. He said hello to a little lizard named Roger. It wasn't the same as the one he had when he was young, but it still reminded him of what happened. Even before the island, he was in love with Roger. Instead, he blew his chance. Now, he was stuck with Tony. _I'm not stuck with him! I love him!_ He turned away from the lizard and went to his thinking tree. He could just lay there for hours. He would think of all of the good times in his life. When his mother used to take him to the park. When his father used to play soccer with him in the yard. When Tony used to cuddle with him. He clung onto those times. He forgave his mom and dad for what they did to him. He forgave Tony for all of the times he hurt him. He just didn't know if they forgave him for all the mistakes he made.

He turned around and saw a small flower. It was the same as the one he had in his hair. The Angelonia. He remembered how much Roger knew about flowers. How he just said facts without a thought. How kind he was for someone that doesn't talk much. Could Simon blame him though? Simon was just as reserved. But not for that reason. He couldn't talk to any guys that were single. That's why he talks to Ralph. Ralph has Jack and that relationship is going to last a while. Roger on the other hand is single. Even if he wasn't, he's did a pretty good job of hiding it. That's why Tony got so upset earlier. He talked to Roger. He smiled with Roger. He smiled at him with a smile Tony hadn't seen in a long time. _It's my fault._ Simon put his head up against the tree trunk. He just wanted to make Tony smile again. The smile that he fell in love with. The smile that he shared his special smile with. But it was long gone. All that was left was memories and threats. Most of the memories weren't even that bright. 

Simon got up and went towards the waterfall. It wasn't that big, but it made a lot of noise. The only reason most kids didn't know about was that it was far. At least 1 hour away, and that was if they knew their way around the forest. Simon only went their when he shouldn't be thinking. When he should just be relaxing. He didn't go there often, but today he did. He had to. He had already hurt himself, something he hadn't done for at least a week now. He had done it before, but not to the extent that he did it today. He thought it was because of all the mistakes he made. All of the times he broke Tony's trust. He shouldn't be around Roger. He should try to avoid him. Ideally, he wanted to befriend him. But he couldn't. He had to stay far from him. Or else he would suffer the consequences. The same ones he suffered today. 

**Back At The Dorms**

Simon was about to go to sleep until he heard a knock on his door. He thought it was Tony. He put on a sweater and went opened the door.

"Hey T-"

It wasn't Tony. It was Roger. Roger was blushing. 

"Can I come in?"

Simon knew that he should say no. But that's not what happened.

"Of course!"

Roger went inside with some of his books and he put them on Simon's desk. He sat in Simon's chair. 

"Sorry to be here so late. I know we just met and all."

"It's fine!"

Simon sat on his bed. He was swaying his feet back and forth. Roger sighed.

"Truth is, I need help with this assignment. It's from a college course. I fell asleep in class and I have no idea what to do. I figured since you aced the class, you could...Help me?"

Simon got up and looked at Roger's books. It was Quantum Physics. It was true that he passed it, but it was incredibly difficult. He turned to the assignment. 

"All right. Let's get the basics first. The Planck constant is an important physical constant in this course. What can it be represented by?"

"H. There's an abbreviation of the full one too. It's called the Planck constant."

"See? You got the basics already!"

Roger shrugged. 

"I got the equations and stuff. I just don't get the explanation."

"Okay. Let's see...Well, it's basically how energy moves and interacts at the sub-atomic level. Everything else builds off of that. Do you know who first proposed this idea?"

"Einstein in 1905."

"Yep! He said it would rewrite the laws of physics. He was a genius. I would love to meet him."

Roger nodded.

"He also proposed the theory of relativity. It was fundamental to science."

Simon and Roger continued to talk about Einstein and Quantum Physics. They were both knowledgeable on the topic. At first glance, it would seem that Simon wasn't teaching Roger at all. But he was. He quickly saw that Roger needed help organizing his ideas. What better way than to talk it out? He always found that way easier. He didn't have anyone to talk to, so he talked to his pets. Well, they weren't really his pets. He couldn't dare deprive them of the joy of being in the wild. So, he would visit them everyday and make sure they were okay. It seemed that Roger didn't have anyone to talk to either. The only people he talked to was Maurice and Jack. Maurice was out of the question and no one could ever take Jack seriously. Plus, Roger and Jack never saw eye to eye. They would mostly fight. They both had no one.

They were so focused that it was already 2 in the morning before they knew it.

"Shit! I didn't mean to stay this long. Sorry."

Simon shook his head. 

"No worries! You can come any time. I'll always be happy to help."

"Thanks. Well, good night."

"Good night!"

Roger left and Simon was in shock. Not even Tony stayed that late into the night with him. Not even on their good days. Simon felt so happy. It was the first time he could talk to someone about something he liked. He loved science and theories. It was his favorite subject. Not to mention they both share the same interest in nature. _Maybe I can show him the forest._ He stopped himself there. He hadn't shown anyone the forest, not even Tony. So, how could he bring himself to show someone he just met his safe place? What if Roger was just pretending to be nice? What if he just wanted an easy way out of an assignment? Simon decided to sleep it off and think about it tomorrow. He needed as much sleep as he could get. 

**Reading Class**

In reading, they were going to dissect a story with the person across from them. Simon looked up again and there was Roger. Roger smiled at Simon. Simon couldn't help but smile back. It turns out Roger just wanted to get to know Simon. Roger sat beside Simon. 

"So, do you think that suicide is being selfish?"

Simon jumped up. He forgot what story they were dissecting. It was a section where the main character and his friend were debating is suicide was selfish.

"It's just a person's way of letting go. Their life must be terrible enough that they can't stand it anymore. They were probably selfless their whole life. This is the one thing that they want."

Roger nodded.

"Not only that, but it's a way to release all of their bottled up emotions. That's why most teenagers harm themselves. They don't have anyone to turn to. They can't control their mental pain, so they're trying to see if physical pain worked."

Was that what Simon was doing? Was his life so terrible that he had to resort to self harm? It couldn't be. He was in a good relationship. An amazing one at that. He was with the love of his life. What more could he ask for? Sure, there were some threats but he never thought of it as something major. _I'm just being sensitive._ He thought that he didn't deserve to harm himself. He thought he was being weak.

"Hey, you okay talking about this? I mean, it's a big topic and all."

"Yeah! I'm fine. Just thinking. That's all."

 _Thinking about the wrong things._ Simon was scared. Disappointed in himself. But when he looked at Roger, all of his troubles went away. This was different from when he looked at Tony. All Tony brought to Simon was terror. Instead, Roger brought joy and comfort. _What's wrong with you! There's still love there. You're just being selfish._ Simon looked at the time. Class was almost over. Once the bell finally rang, he sighed. He went to walk to his next class, but Roger stopped him.

"Do you wanna hang out later? I have a test tomorrow for Quantum Physics. I figured since you helped me yesterday you-"

"Of course! Just come by before 8."

Roger nodded and they both went their separate ways. _What am I doing?_ Simon knew that he shouldn't be hanging out with Roger. He shouldn't be talking with him. He shouldn't even be looking at him. But he couldn't help it. Roger was always so far away. This was the one time that he was finally his friend. He couldn't waste that opportunity. He would have to deal with the consequences later for sure, but for now he had to enjoy what little time he would have with Roger. It was his first ever crush. How could he ever turn that away. He couldn't.

He was stuck in this never ending loop of pain. Roger was his one way out. He knew that he should break up with Tony. He could try getting close with Roger and maybe they would end up together. Get married. Get old together. But he couldn't. He didn't want to hurt Tony. He still loved him after all. It was just the joy of talking to Roger. It was something he couldn't live without. He needed it. If he didn't have it, his life would never change. He would continue to harm himself. _Shouldn't Tony do all of these things for me too?_ Simon didn't know the answer to that. All he knew was that his dream partner was finally his friend. He couldn't throw that opportunity away. Even if they were just going to end up being friends. He couldn't turn that chance down. He couldn't.


	5. Chapter 5

**Later On That Day**

"Where are you going?"

Tony pulled Simon towards him.

"I'm heading out."

Tony didn't like that response.

"When did you become so independent?"

Simon felt the grip tightening. 

"Sorry."

Simon broke free and ran away. He realized that he was definitely in trouble. He could hear Tony yelling at him to come back. He didn't though. He was tired of being confined to one friend. Sure, Ralph was amazing, but he wanted more. He wanted to feel free. He wanted to show someone his hiding place. _Tony._ He stopped. He realized that he loved him. For all of his flaws. For all of the remarks. He thought he just needed some space. He finally met Roger. He was out of breath, but he played it cool.

"Hey. You ready?"

Roger nodded.

"All right, let's go." 

They started to study again. It developed into a normal conversation again. They complimented each other. Their vast knowledge on different subjects and their need to speak to someone else about it. It was refreshing for them. 

"Can I show you a secret place of mine?"

Roger stopped rambling about the big bang theory.

"Huh?"

"Can I show you a secret place of mine?"

Roger nodded.

"Sure."

Simon couldn't believe he was doing this. He shouldn't, but he knew this would be his last chance. His only chance to show Roger. Even if they couldn't see each other again, he wanted to show him and take his chance before he lost the opportunity. Roger followed Simon into the woods. Roger was in awe of this place. He had never seen it before. There were flowers of all kinds there.

"Look, there's roses! And over there is lilacs!"

Simon stopped for a moment and smiled.

"I know a place where there are a lot of flowers. Wanna see it before we go to my secret place?"

"This isn't it?"

"Nope, it's somewhere deeper in the forest."

Roger was loving this place. Simon took the hint and led Roger to the place. It was like an oasis. Flowers were sprawled out everywhere. Their colors illuminating the dark night as the light from the moon shined on them. Roger sat down and inspected each one. He then spouted facts about them. Simon just watched him. It was honestly adorable to him that the tough, emo boy had an intense interest in flowers. Roger collected a couple of flowers that were already dead.

"What's wrong with those?"

"They're dead, but they're taking space from the other flowers. They're similar to weeds, only it's harder to pinpoint."

He took of the band that held his hair up and wrapped it around the flowers, creating a bouquet. 

"These are the flowers that people should take to give to others. They're still bright and beautiful, but they're already dead. It doesn't last that long, but it doesn't take as much care."

He looked at Simon.

"You want it? I already have a couple in my room and I don't wanna leave it here."

"I'll take it!"

Roger handed it to Simon. Simon agreed with Roger. They were beautiful. There was one of each color. Red. Orange. Yellow. Green. Blue. Purple. In that order. In a rainbow. Simon thought it was kind of cute. _Is it a sign?_ Simon knew it was the colors of the gay pride flag. He knew that Roger hand picked these flowers. _Is Roger gay?_ He stopped himself there. _Why am I worrying about someone else's sexuality? I'm in a relationship._

"Do you like them?"

Simon looked at Roger. Roger had one of his hands in his pocket and the other on his neck. It seemed like Roger wasn't used to being so kind. He wasn't used to communicating that much without any yelling. Simon was the one person that Roger could talk to about anything and would listen. Simon realized he was staring.

"Yes! They're lovely!" 

He caressed them in his hands. He gave off a cute smile.

"Let's go."

Roger nodded. He followed Simon yet again into the dark forest. Normally, he would be moving around cautiously, but his defenses dropped when he was with Simon. He felt so free. He felt the wind blowing in his hair. He looked at Simon and saw the wind blowing in his too. He looked so happy. He knew that Simon always had a smile on his face, but this smile was different. It was as if his true smile came out when he was with him. _He's taken._ Roger snapped back into reality. He was still running with Simon. It took an hour to get there, but they eventually arrived.

**Secret Place**

Simon and Roger sat down on the ground, gasping for breath. They looked at each other and laughed. Roger was so cute. His hair was still loose. He had never seen him like that. He always wore his hood up or his hair was tied. He had never seen Roger look so relaxed. Ever since he's known him he's never been like that. Since they were toddlers. Since the island. Since they were high schoolers. Since earlier today. When they were with each other, they were their true selves. Simon showed his true smile while Roger showed his true personality. On the outside, it would seem like they would never be friends. Simon who was perceived to be an angel. Roger who was perceived to be a devil. No one could think that they would be friends, let alone let loose around each other. Once they finally caught their breath, they stared at the tree.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

Roger nodded.

"It's a Magnolia tree. It's commonly grown for its flowers or for shade."

"You sure know a lot about it."

Roger shook his head.

"Not at all. I've never seen one in person, so I can't really observe much. The photos don't really help either."

He got up and felt the petals of the flowers.

"So soft."

Simon got up and stood next to Roger.

"This tree is my miracle. Ever since I was sent to this school, I would come to this tree. When I was sad, or when I was jumping with joy. It was the best friend I ever had. I know that all sounds stupid."

"No, it doesn't. I speak to my flowers when no one's there. They listen. I can tell. It just feels nice to speak and you don't have to worry about anyone judging you."

They both nodded in agreement.

"Taking down this trees should be a crime."

Simon nodded.

"If this tree was gone, I wouldn't know what to do."

Roger put his hand on Simon's shoulder. 

"Don't worry. Nothing will happen to it on my watch."

They both smiled at each other for 5 minutes. Then, Roger looked at his watch.

"Shit. It's 1 a.m. I gotta rest for my test."

"Yeah of course! I'll lead you outta here."

They walked side by side back to the dorms. Once they arrived, Roger went to his dorm to sleep. Simon didn't go to his dorm. He went back to his tree. It was a memorable night for him. Something was different this time. He smelled smoke. His jog suddenly turned into a run. As he was nearing his tree, he could see a fire. _No. No. Please._ He got to his tree, but he was too late. The flowers were burnt to a crisp and the trunk was almost gone too. Simon fell to his knees. The one time he had a good day. An amazing day. He couldn't turn to his tree. His tree died before his eyes. He started bawling.

"Why? Why does everything get taken away from me?"

He saw Tony around the corner. He noticed that the fire didn't reach anywhere else. It was just his tree that was affected. Simon ran up to him and slapped Tony.

"What did you do?"

 _Oh no._ He realized his mistake as soon as he made it. Tony grabbed his shirt and carried him to the flame that was killing his tree.

"Die with your tree. If you make it, your still mine. Your only escape is death."

He threw Simon into the fire and walked away. Simon was yelling. He felt the fire burn his skin and his sweat was evaporated by the flames. His entire body was getting burned and his hair was starting to disintegrate. He was on the verge of death, but then he remembered Roger. He remembered the sacred smile. He couldn't let that go. He had to stay alive. For Roger. He couldn't leave Roger like this. He realized that Roger needed a friend like Simon. He knew that it would never grow to anything more, but he still couldn't leave Roger behind. He climbed out of the fire and gasped for breath. His tree was gone. His life was almost gone. He couldn't get up. He had to do something, but he couldn't. He had to call someone. He decided to call Ralph. 

"Ralph! I...I need your help."

"What happened Simon? You okay?"

"Go to the forest and... and follow the smell of...of smoke."

"Simon? What's going on?"

No response.

"Hello? Simon?"

Still nothing.

"I'm heading there. Stay with me, alright?"

Nothing. Just the sounds of the fire filled the forest. 


	6. Chapter 6

**At the Dorms**

"Jack! Get up!"

Ralph was tugging on Jack's arm to wake up. 

"What is it? It's the middle of the night!"

Ralph had tears in his eyes. Jack immediately got up.

"What's wrong?"

"Simon!"

He pulled Jack outside and they ran towards the smoke.

"Can you explain?"

"Simon called me. He said to go there. I called out to him, but he didn't respond. I'm worried about him."

Jack shook his head.

"I bet it's that boyfriend of his. I never liked him."

"Me either. Let's worry about that later. We need to find him!"

They followed the smoke and stopped when they saw the fire. The tree was already burnt to a crisp and the flames were starting to disappear. They found Simon unconscious on the ground. A quarter of his hair was singed off and his clothes were partially gone. He had burn marks all over him. Ralph ran to Simon as Jack was trying to put out the fire. Ralph pulled Simon up into a sitting position.

"Simon?"

He checked his wrist for a heartbeat. There was one. He sighed and turned to Jack. 

"We gotta take him back! Piggy will know how to help him!"

Jack scoffed. He pointed at a note next to the tree. It read;

_If you find this and you're still alive, congrats. You probably can't move, so I'll go pick you up at around 3. Is that good? Whatever. If someone else is reading this, fuck. I guess you probably know who I am. Don't try to find me. I'm long gone. I'll still go at 3, but you won't find me. Have fun._

"We gotta stay here. Deal with this guy."

"He's dying, Jack! We'll deal with Tony later! I'm more worried about his life right now!"

Jack rolled his eyes.

"I know, I know. But, we can't make it out in time."

Jack saw Ralph crying. He walked over to Ralph and put his hand on his back.

"I already lost him once. I won't let that happen again!"

Jack nodded and pulled out his phone. He called Roger and Maurice, who were probably up at this time.

"Guys I need you to follow the smoke outside."

Maurice spoke first.

"Why would we follow the smoke? Doesn't that mean there's a fire?"

Roger interrupted. 

"In the forest?"

"Yeah. You have 10 minutes. Meet us halfway."

Jack hung up and threw Simon over his back. Ralph looked up at him with teary eyes.

"Let's go."

**Roger and Maurice**

"Maurice get up!"

Maurice was still half asleep as Roger was shaking him. Maurice wasn't really paying much attention to the phone call.

"Why? It's so early."

Roger pulled Maurice up by his shirt.

"Jack called. You wanna face his wrath?"

Maurice sighed and finally got up. He put on his shoes and followed Roger towards the forest. As Roger was nearing the smoke, he started to recognize his surroundings. The array of flowers. The hidden place where he gave Simon his bouquet. Then, it hit him. He never heard Simon follow him back inside. _Fuck!_ He started to run much faster, so fast that Maurice couldn't catch up to him.

"Slow down!"

Maurice was out of breath and was about to sit down, but he didn't want to deal with Jack's rage. Soon, they saw Ralph's shadow and stopped. Jack came out with Simon on his back.

"Maurice, you go with Ralph and Simon back to the dorms and find Piggy. Roger you stay with me so we can beat up this motherfucker."

Roger's hands were shaking. He crept up slowly to Simon.

"Who did this?"

He put his hand through Simon's hair and eventually touched his cheek. The other 3 were so confused at his response that they didn't answer.

"Who did this?!"

"Tony. His boyfriend."

Roger gave Simon one last look and turned away.

"All right."

Jack gently lowered Simon onto Maurice's back and they went back to the dorms. Jack and Roger made their way back to the remains of the tree. Roger slide his hand across the ashes that were on the floor.

"What's up with you?"

Roger turned to Jack who was staring right at him.

"You acted like Simon was your best friend or something."

Roger turned away and walked toward the bouquet that was perfectly fine. He picked it up and caressed each of the flowers. Simon hadn't let any of the flowers get burned from the flower. He purposely put them far away. So far that not even Tony could see them. Roger put it back down and vowed to pick it up once the job was done. He walked back to Jack who was impatiently checking his watch.

"1 more hour. We should've planned this better, huh?"

Roger shrugged.

"Since there's time..."

He looked at Roger in the eye.

"Do you know this place?"

Roger's eyes widened and he took a step back.

"What do you mean?"

Jack laughed.

"You looked like you knew your way around here."

"Simon took me here. I guess he went back and then..."

Roger punched a tree that was nearby. 

"Hey, it's not your fault."

Roger shook his head. _I should've known. I could've prevented this._ Jack rubbed Roger's shoulder. 

"No one could've known."

He looked at Roger who was starting to cry. Jack took a step back and sat down next to the tree. Roger then slumped down and ruffled his fingers through his hair. He wiped the tears off his face and stared at the flowers from a distance. Then, he started to see Simon holding the flowers and smiling at him. Roger smiled at him, but then Simon disappeared. It was just a hallucination. He walked towards the flowers, picked them up, and sat back down next to Jack.

"Where did you get those?"

"A special place."

Roger kept on rubbing the flowers as Jack laid back on the tree. 

**Piggy**

"Piggy! Open up!"

Ralph was knocking at Piggy's door as Maurice was carrying Simon. Piggy opened up immediately.

"What happ-"

He looked at Simon on Maurice's back.

"Come in."

They went in and Maurice placed Simon on Piggy's bed. Piggy grabbed his first-aid kit and started to put a cream on all of Simon's burns. Ralph kept on pacing around and asking if Simon was going to be alright. Maurice was sitting on the floor looking at Piggy treat Simon. 

"And...Done!"

Piggy turned to Ralph who was on the verge of tears. He was shaking and biting his lip. Piggy put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gave off a warm smile.

"He'll be fine, Ralph. Don't worry."

He turned to Maurice with a stern look on his face.

"Now, what happened exactly?"

Maurice shrugged.

"Not really sure. I just know that he was almost burnt to a crisp and we went to save him."

Maurice looked back at Ralph for any more information, but all he got was despair. Piggy shook his head. 

"It's fine. I'll ask again when he's ready."

Piggy went to the kitchen and came back with tea.

"Here you go, Ralph. Drink this and take a nap. You're in no position to be doing anything now."

All Ralph could do was nod as tears started to flood his eyes again. Maurice sat on the bed across from Simon and put his head in his hands. Piggy just sat in his chair wondering how did everything go so wrong in one night. Everything seemed fine, yet it wasn't. A classmate was brought to him in terrible position. Piggy didn't want to tell them that he won't be conscious for a few more days, but he knew he would eventually. He turned back to Ralph who was starting to calm down a bit. He shook his head. He would worry about this later on. They had school and were all expected to attend. At that moment, Ralph wasn't only worried about his friend, but about his boyfriend who would be facing off against the person who did this to him.


End file.
